Fernandina pursues paid parking despite heavy opposition

Despite heavy opposition from some in the public, Fernandina Beach officials have selected an outside parking company to set up a paid parking plan downtown.

Commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to hired One Parking Inc. from among three top contenders. The action came after commissioners heard many residents give reasons why paid parking will hurt the historic community and its business owners.

City officials say the estimated $2 million that paid parking could generate would help pay for a new seawall, improved infrastructure and other projects. But opponents like Kimberly Aspinwall said the proposal tears at her heart. The downtown business owner said paid parking will change the town completely and hurt businesses.

“I’m a business owner now for eight years downtown, and I have lived here for over 20 years,” she said. “I do think that it’s going to take away that complete welcoming charm that we’ve had ever since I have been coming here, ever since I’ve lived here. I really wish that you would at least reconsider and really think about all of this.”

But resident Richard Dean said paid parking might be a way to pay for the capital improvements the city said it needs. He did say he wants to see concrete reasons why paid parking is the choice.

“I don’t think that paid parking is anybody’s choice, but there comes a time when you can’t just say the money is there,” he told the commission. “Show us the detailed document list of things, alternatives to this. I have yet to see it.”

The five-member City Commission set a priority during a “visioning session” earlier this year to develop other sources of revenue outside taxes, pointing out that the city’s population has grown from 7,800 in the 1970s to over 13,900 now.

Local vehicle registrations have increased from 25,000 in 1975 to over 90,000 now, while tourists add almost 460,000 more vehicles on the roads as well as nine city parking lots, the report said.

The city predicts projected revenue of $1.5 million to $2.5 million annually from paid parking, which would begin in October. The paid parking plan would charge for 1,800 premier parking spots on select downtown streets.

The workshop report states that the projected revenue would come from hourly parking fees, residential permits and parking tickets paid by tourists and residents who go downtown. 

A petition on Change.org says the Centre Street corridor has always been a haven for residents and tourists “seeking a taste of authentic small-town charm.” Starting a paid parking system “could threaten this atmosphere and disrupt our way of life,” the petition says.

City officials say they studied alternatives like increasing property taxes to generate more revfenue, but they said the drawback is that only property owners — not tourists — would pay.

Among those who spoke out was the Rev. Dawn Mayes, pastor of First Presbyterian Church on North 6th Street. She urged the commission to slow down, “do your due diligence and look at the other options.”

“There are always other options — intergovernmental agreements, public/private partnerships,” Mayes told the commission. She then quoted PBS’ Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, asking commissioners to “be my neighbor.”

“We are a community of neighbors,” she said. “I have already shared with you the impact paid parking would have on churches, not just on Sunday mornings, but throughout the week, the literally thousands of people who come to memorial services, Bible studies, small groups, youth groups, mssion activities that reach into the community.”

After public comment, commision members had their say.

After considering the issue for a year and speaking with many residents, Commissioner Joyce Tuten told the audience the vote was “extremely difficult” for her. She said she could not look away from the projects paid parking would help pay for.

“If we don’t build a seawall to protect the downtown, then the very character that we love will be lost,” Tuten said.

Mayor James Antun said that while many in the audience asked them to look for other sources to fund needed projects, no alternatives were offered.

“It’s very frustrating to sit in this seat right now and have people say ‘Just find another way,'” Antun said. “No one has provided any solution for that. No one has suggested even one potential idea. And unfortunately, as it’s been said here before, this is the only clear way forward at this moment.”

The lone “no” vote was Vice Mayor Darron Ayscue, who proposed making the issue a public referendum so residents could vote on paid parking.

“This is why I would like to see this put in the charter,” Ayscue said. “If we can come up with a plan as great as its being sold here to the citizens of Fernandina Beach, let them vote on it. And if they put it in, then we can’t raise it; we can’t go to the beach with it; we can’t do anything else without going back to them.”

City officials will now begin negotiating a contract with One Parking. The commission must approve it.